Gender neutral uniform for higher secondary school students is likely to face a legal challenge with the Muslim Coordination Committee threatening to move court if suitable changes are not made to the current format.
Committee members took out a march on Wednesday morning to Government Higher Secondary School for Girls at Balussery in Kozhikode ahead of the State-level launch of the initiative ‘Ore Swathanthryam, Ore Sameepanam’. They claimed it was “undemocratic” to change students’ dressing style in the name of ensuring gender justice. While the dressing style of teachers was not being changed, only students were forced to practice unisex uniform.
Alleging that it was an infringement on the students’ personal freedom, they said it would “outrage the modesty of women”. The members pointed out that shirts and trousers were “boys’ dress” and the effort was to forcibly impose “liberal ideas” on students.
Seeking a general body meeting of the school parent-teacher association (PTA) to discuss the issue, the committee functionaries claimed they did not get a satisfactory answer from the Principal despite voicing their concerns.
Police personnel were present outside the school when the protest was being held.
The Sunni Students’ Federation issued a statement against the move. The Muslim Students Federation, the students’ wing of the Indian Union Muslim League, staged a protest on Tuesday and extracted an assurance from the Principal that the initiative would not be forcibly implemented.
Minister for Higher Education R. Bindu, who launched the initiative later, termed it a radical step forward. Those who loved their children would not oppose such progressive changes. People who opposed it were not protecting Kerala’s interests, she added.
Minister for General Education V. Sivankutty said in a statement that the government would encourage any step that would promote gender justice.
The school authorities, meanwhile, said neither the students nor teachers and parents had any objections to the move. The Plus One section in the school, where unisex uniform is being implemented, had 260 students, of whom 60 were boys.
The authorities also claimed that the consent of the PTA had been taken before going ahead with the move. Those who were apprehensive were taken on board later, the school authorities added.
